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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1859-1860 School Committee ReportREPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON. FOR THE YEAR 1859-60. BOSTON: PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON, 22, SCHOOL STREET. 1860. REPORT OF THE SC;IIOOL 00\1\TITT.N:I; 01, } TIIE TOWN OF LEXINGTON. FOR THE YEAR 1859-60. BOSTON: PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON, 22, SCHOOL STREET. 1860. Monk 4 S ! 4 REPORT. AT the beginning of the year, the duty of selecting and contracting with the teachers in all the schools devolved on the General Committee. Believing that the changing of teachers should be avoided as far as may be, the Commit- tee re-elected all but those who were not desirous of a re -appointment. Of the six that were re -appointed, five accepted, one de- clined, and four new teachers were chosen. But one change has been made during the year ; and, at the close, the con- dition of the schools was so satisfactory, that it was not deemed necessary to make any changes. So far as they have taken place, it has been by the act of the teachers them- selves. The FRANKLIN SCHOOL was continued in charge of Miss MARY A. SMITH, who had taught it during the Winter Term with general approval. Miss Smith is a teacher of ample acquirements and experience : but a growing interest in a different pursuit, early in the year, began to distract her attention from the school ; and, at the end of the Summer Term, it was thought advisable that she should give up the school. Miss FRANCES M. PARKER took her place ; under whose care the school improved in order, and attention to study, and, at the closing examination, appeared to be in a satisfactory condition. 4 The WARREN SCHOOL has been taught throughout the year by Miss ISABELLA CUTLER, already well known among us as a teacher of fine qualities and scholarship. She has won the general good -will of the people of the district ; and with their judgment the Committee cordially agree. The teacher selected for the BOWDITCH SCHOOL (Miss VIC- TORIA G. WHEAT) brought full testimonials to her ability and previous success ; and the result has shown that the credit given her was deserved. She has maintained a high stan- dard of order, and shown very good power of communicating knowledge, and stimulating the industry of her pupils. The HOWARD SCHOOL remained in charge of Miss ZELINDA D. JOHNSON. It has made steady improvement ; the order has been very good, secured, it is believed, almost wholly by gentle firmness ; and the mental exercises, by the strongly individualized traits of the teacher's mind, have been at once made highly useful, yet relieved of the tameness of routine. It was the desire and expectation of the Committee, that all of the foregoing schools should have a school -year of forty weeks. It was thought practicable to secure this by the employment of female teachers through the year. At the present rates, the salary of the teachers is two hundred and forty dollars for that time. The amount allowed by the town is two hundred and seventy-five dollars ; to which is added between ten and fifteen dollars from the State. This gives between forty-five and fifty dollars for those minor expenses which are properly chargeable to the School Fund. These expenses vary in the different districts from a little over forty to more than sixty dollars. The consequence has been, that, while two of the schools have been extended to the length designated, one was shortened a week, and one two weeks ; in the latter instance, notwithstanding the re- duction of time, the expense exceeding the amount to which the school was entitled by a few dollars. These mis- cellaneous expenses are not under the control of the General 5 Committee; but they think it right to bring the subject to the attention of the town, as bearing directly on the interests of the schools. The Primary Department of the ADAMS SCHOOL suffered during the Summer Term from hinderances connected with the change from the old to the new house, but still more from the prevalence of whooping -cough among the pupils. These things made the task of the teacher peculiarly wear- ing ; and, at the fall examination, the adverse effects were somewhat apparent. Happier auspices during the winter enabled Miss NASH to recover the tone of her own mind, and to replace the school on its usual footing, — an object of cordial admiration as a model school of its class. Mr. ROGERS, the teacher of the preceding year, was re- appointed to the charge of the GRAMMAR SCHOOL by the unanimous vote of the Committee; but he declined. The Committee availed themselves of the opportunity thus af- forded, to try the experiment of a female teacher in this school. Miss COLLAMORE has sustained the school in a highly creditable condition of discipline and studiousness. She unites firmness, self-possession, and suavity of manners, in a remarkable degree. A courteous spirit seems to have been gradually awakened in the pupils,— a sentiment of decorum in a good degree exerting the influence sometimes secured by severer means ; so that the quality of the discipline has im- proved, perhaps, more than its degree. If properly supported, the Committee are of opinion that either a male or a female teacher can discharge the duties of this place successfully. It seems proper to say, however, that, if pupils frequently hear remarks to the effect that their teacher cannot maintain good order, it is a virtual invitation to them to be insubor- dinate. The predictions may be themselves the cause of the evil they foretell. The new schoolhouse erected during the past year meets with general approval and admiration. It is an acquisition • 6 of substantial and lasting value to this part of the town ; and the utmost care of teachers, pupils, committees, aiid citizens, should be exerted to save it from needless injury. In the HANCOCK PRIMARY SCHOOL, Miss RUSSELL has la- bored throughout the year in the same patient and conscien- tious spirit as before ; and the school has made evident and gratifying advance in its deportment, and in the method and thoroughness of study. The Committee feel sure of its continued progress in the care of the same highly esteemed teacher. In the GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MISS HOYT, who was drawn from another field of labor by the greater inducements offered her, has taught with distinguished success. Her methods of instruction are marked by single-minded de- votion to the proper purposes of the school ; by directness, vigor, thoroughness, and honesty. The school has been orderly, hard-working, and ambitious. A. single visit to the schoolroom in study -hours was sufficient to convince one that the great work of instruction was going on most successfully. If but little moral instruction was given in the way of formal precept, the pupils were all the time practically learning some moral ideas of leading importance, — attention to duty ; thoroughness and Honesty in work ; deference to rightful control ; prompt obedience. Until the end of the Summer Term, the HIGH SCHOOL continued to do well. The number was full, and the at- tendance showed the same interest and care on the part of the pupils for which the school was remarkable the year before. At the examination in November, the Com- mittee agreed in thinking that the school exhibited a tho- roughness and proficiency truly admirable. During the Winter Term, it was kept, as usual, in the upper room. Here the utmost economy of space sufficed to give room for desks to accommodate all but one of the pupils. The room was 7 full. There was little or no space for classes engaged in recitation. There was no place to separate a pupil tempora- rily from the rest as a coercive or disciplinary measure. Tlie ventilation was quite insufficient, or it was obtained at the expense of dangerous exposure to currents of cold air. The Committee do not regard it as wholly the teacher's fault, that, under these circumstances, some laxity of discipline crept in. The general currency of reports injurious to the reputation of the school in this respect, and asserting also, in part, a great neglect of study, necessitated some investi- gation. By visits to the school, and conferences with the teacher, the Committee satisfied themselves that the reports were exaggerated, yet not without foundation. They believe, that, in attention to study, there was, with some exceptions, a prevalence of good habits to the end of the year; and that, if there had been, as they intended, a thorough and rigorous examination, the school would have proved the injustice of the charge of general idleness. The deportment of the school, as to which there was more ground of censure, was made the subject of frank conversation with the teacher, with, as was supposed, entire harmony of feeling and wishes between him and the Committee. Hopes were mutually ex- pressed that the new year should inaugurate a radical change for the better. The Committee did not think the case re- quired a change of teachers ; and, after consultation with the newly appointed member, it was informally intimated to Mr. LANE that he would be re -appointed. This was the posi- tion of things, when, without the knowledge of the Commit- tee, the school was dismissed by the teacher the day before that appointed for its examination, with the announcement that his connection with it was at an end. No comment is offered on this step. It prevented the usual examination, and leaves the Committee only the results of previous ob- servation as the basis of their concluding estimate of the school. The question is suggested by these circumstances, whether it is right, on minor grounds of economy or convenience, to 8 expose the school to the obvious and manifold disadvantages, both moral and physical, arising from being crowded into a room so inadequate in size, and inconvenient in location. The Committee think that the school needs only reasonable accommodations, with the application of a firm and strict discipline, to make it what the community have a right to demand. These good results depend on the wisdom and for- bearance of the community as well as on the teacher. The pupils should never be encouraged in regarding it as an open question, whether the teacher shall have their respect or not. They should be told that he is entitled to it as a right ; that they are bound to yield it ; that, even at the worst, no change in their feelings towards the teacher can excuse them in a disregard of his orders, and in violations of propriety in or out of school -hours and the school -room. The supply of school -books to the pupils at a price simply covering the cost at wholesale, and charge for transportation, has been attended to ; and the report of the Agent is ap- pended. No change in the books prescribed for use has been made during the year. To each of the schoolrooms there has been furnished a set of the books appropriate to the school, for the use of the teacher, in accordance with the vote of the town authorizing the Committee to do this. The whole expense has been $30.66. A detailed account of the names and price of the books thus furnished is entered in the records of the School Committee. The number of persons in town on the first day of May, A.D. 1859, between the ages of five and fifteen years, was 370. The amount received from the State School Fund for 1859 was $81.27. The sum raised by the town for the support of schools for 1859-60 was $3,700, — to be apportioned as follows : viz., $1,000 for the support of the High School ; $1,600 to be equally divided between the Adams and Hancock Schools ; and the remaining $1,100 to be divided equally between the Howard, Bowditch, Warren, and Franklin Schools. 9 Burlington, Lincoln, and Winchester have sent some pu- pils to our schools, for which no compensation has yet been received. In the too general carelessness respecting a constant at- tendance, it is pleasant to note the fact, that in the Centre Grammar School, during the Winter Term, nine pupils were not absent at all ; and, of these, one only was marked for tardiness once. In the liberality of its appropriations, in proportion to the number of pupils and to its taxable property, the relative rank of Lexington among the towns of the State has fallen the last year, in comparison with the preceding. In regard to the average attendance of its pupils, it has advanced from being the hundred and ninety-second to be the hundred and forty-third. L. J. LIVERMORE, CHARLES TIDD, C.onzmittee, HOWLAND HOLMES, 2 10 REPORT OF BOOK—AGENCY. Book -Agency to Town of Lexington, Dr. To Cash from Town Treasury $75.00 Cr. By books furnished indigent children . . . • $10.50 „ supplying deficiency in text -books for teach- ers' desks 1 22 „ Amount of books on hand 34 31 „ Cash in hands of agency to purchase books for year ensuing 28 97 $75.00 The book -agency has been conducted principally by the Secre- tary of the Board, who declines receiving any other compensation than the discount, amounting to $10.37, which has been allowed him for paying for the books within thirty days after the bills were drawn. H. HOLMES, Agent. • wM TABULAR 11 •uoponalsuj aoj mud 3unoiuy o 0 02 40 00 cD ci m chi 00 cC ci M C.4 � ci N o 0 N O 00 21 o dl cMi --a, O a N •g3noyQ 'ad saB�s� °'- CO 00 MN 00 MN o o N4.4 0 N o N a�Baae V + co M + ' to M M 0 ,•� ..o -no w M M + m .--- * ,--I M d+ GV •aaluiAi «1 siviogag jo •o4 M dl 0 0 -14 kO co cn -0 di m CO r- N N M m N assaae + d1 M + + N M M 'd, dl •dl M co .--1 N g — •aautmns ul sa�slogas 30 •o1�T c, ma, ,1 , dl M m N •s$aaAt jo avant' ploy N dl N N dl -dl N N dl d' d! 0 ' 4 0o M m M •aa}ui.M. ui s�aas ;o -Om co r-+ - ,-1 u -J . ,- .-1 d: ;21 -01 r-1 N r -I M .� 'aaultan III seam jo o jQ chi N N N N co co co co H a . . ° '1 -Ti . a t. : — � pia .. � r11414 4 •° . 0 . co e ^C .4 •� ca N w NAMES OF SCHOOLS. HIGH SCHOOL . . . . c x CS a W w . al 1:4 =7 x . 12 C4z 0 P•1 A A " d 1 F 0 Pa z w a a a 0 r -r. A 44 * Evidently erroneous.